Tag Archives: True Blood

Fans of the original drama Da Vinci’s Demons have reason to be excited this winter. That is thanks to Anchor Bay’s announcement Tuesday that it will release the hit drama’s second season next month.

Officials with Starz announced Tuesday that the second season of Da Vinci’s Demons will be released Tuesday, March 3rd. It will be released on Blu-ray + Digital HD and DVD. Season Two picks up where the series’ first season left off. Da Vinci continues to defend Florence against the powers that be in Rome. Meanwhile he also continues his quest for the fabled Book of Leaves and for answers about his mother. New enemies rise up along the way, too; forces that prove to be even more dangerous than even Pope Sixtus and his minions. Both the DVD and Blu-ray + Digital HD presentation of Da Vinci’s Demons include a handful of bonuses to complement its ten-episode run. Those bonuses include a “making of” featurette, a recap of Season One, a look at the new sets used in Season Two and more. The full list of bonus material included on Season Two’s box set is noted below.

IFC Films’ teen comedy Premature is not only one of the best indie flicks of 2014, but it is one of the best movies of the year overall. In comparison to the endless stream of prequels, sequels, and remakes churned out by Hollywood’s “Power 5″ studios, this movie is a complete breath of fresh air. It balances just enough bawdiness and raunch with an equal amount of depth and heart to make it a surprisingly entertaining work. The central reason for that is the movie’s script. It isn’t just another standard, formulaic teen romp. It actually teaches some important lessons; lessons that both male and female audiences will appreciate. The movie’s script is at the heart of its enjoyment. Another reason that audiences will enjoy this movie is its bonus material. Included as bonus material on the DVD are a number of interviews with the cast and crew, a fun little behind-the-scenes featurette, and even an alternate ending that proves to be just as good as the ending presented in the final product. The last aspect of the movie that makes it enjoyable for audiences is the acting on the part of the cast. The cast isn’t exactly A-listers just yet. But its members already have quite the chops under their belts thanks to roles on some big movies and TV shows. It shows quite well in this presentation, too. It rounds out a movie that while being an indie flick, is one of this year’s best indie flicks and one of the year’s best movies overall.

At first glance, many critics have automatically panned IFC Films’ new teen comedy Premature. Elizabeth Weitzman, of the New York Daily News, said of the movie that it is “a retreat of every lousy 80s high school comedy you never bothered watching.” And Variety’s Joe Leydon had one of the harshest comments, attacking not only the movie but those that actually showed any appreciation of the movie. He noted of the movie and its audiences that “only undiscriminating audiences with a pronounced taste for crotch-centric tomfoolery will sample this goulash.” Really, Joe? There was an equally scathing commentary from New York Times writer Nicolas Rapold, equating co-writers Dan Beers and Mathew Harawitz’s script to work from Family Guy head Seth McFarlane. That is an insult of the highest degree. For all of its naysayers, Premature has also gotten positive marks, too. Though, even those positive remarks have been tepid at best. This means that most audiences and critics that saw this movie completely missed the mark in analyzing it. The script itself does throw back to the teen romps of the 80s. There’s no denying that. But it throws back to more than just those movies. Its script balances the crudeness of those movies with the heart–believe it or not–of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. To a lesser extent, those that are old enough to remember will see a comparison to the likes of Fox’s classic series Parker Lewis Can’t Lose, too. That’s thanks in large part to the work of lead actor John Karna, who plays Rob Crabbe. The movie sees Rob learn some valuable lessons about both life and love as the story progresses. He learns about doing what makes him happy versus what makes his father happy through his interactions with his Georgetown recruiter and his father. The lesson about love just happens to be tied in to Rob’s own full-throttle sex drive. Audiences need to remember that in our adolescence, the human sex drive is actually much like what is portrayed here. Hormones are going crazy in the adolescent brain and body. Beer and Harawitz have just taken that fact and made humorous light of it as part of the bigger picture. Keeping that in mind makes that aspect of the movie less crude and much funnier. If audiences can accept that fact and enjoy it for what it is, they will enjoy Premature much more. They will also enjoy the lessons incorporated into the script, too thus leading to a realization that this movie is far more enjoyable than what some would have others believe.

The script used for Premature is by itself more than enough reason to give this underrated indie flick worth at least one watch. By itself, it makes Premature one of this year’s best new indie flicks and one of the year’s best new movies overall. The script is just part of what makes the movie worth watching. The bonus material included with the movie makes the presentation in whole even more enjoyable. There are interviews with the cast and crew that will inform and entertain audiences. There is also a bonus alternate ending that proves to be just as entertaining as the ending presented in the final product if not more so. And the bonus behind-the-scenes featurette will have audiences just as much in stitches. [John] Karna takes audiences through the movie’s sets during this segment. Throughout the featurette, Karna stays somewhat in character holding the same personality as Rob Crabbe without actually trying to portray Rob. He playfully hits on every female that he finds as if he were Rob. It really is fun and funny to watch. Together with the bonus interviews and alternate ending, it shows even more what makes the movie’s bonus features even more important to the presentation in whole. They collectively make Premature that much more of a joy to watch. They still aren’t the last of the factors that make Premature so enjoyable, either. The acting on the part of the movie’s cast is just as important to the movie. It rounds out the whole that is this surprisingly entertaining indie flick.

The acting on the part of Premature’s cast is one of the most important parts of this movie’s enjoyment. Most audiences probably don’t know the cast’s names. But Karna and his cast mates–Katie Findlay (How To Get Away With Murder, The Carrie Diaries, After The Dark), Alan Tudyk (Frozen, Wreck-it-Ralph ,i-Robot) Craig Roberts (Neighbors, 22 Jump Street, Jane Eyre), Steve Coulter (The Hunger Games, Insidious: Chapter 2, The Conjuring) , and Carlson Young (True Blood, The Dog Who Saved Christmas, Pretty Little Liars)–are each fully believable in their roles. And that is thanks to their work on some rather well-known movies and TV series. Katie Findlay plays Rob’s best friend Gabrielle. She does quite the job in her role, although most audiences can tell as the story progresses what will happen between them. It’s a classic partnering that has been used before. But it still works quite well even in this case. Alan tudyk plays the part of Rob’s Georgetown recruiter. Tudyk is a laugh riot as he breaks down, crying like a little child as he interviews Rob. His acting will by itself leave audiences laughing uproariously. Craig Roberts plays Rob’s sex-crazed friend Stanley. Even in the side-kick role, Roberts offers his own share of laughs. One could really compare him to Stiffler from the famed American Pie franchise, only younger. Steve Coulter plays a minimal role as Rob’s dad Jim. But he’s still entertaining as the standard subtly controlling father figure. And Carlson Young is spot on as the stereotypical blonde sex kitten Angela Yearwood. Her role is understated as it plays an important part in Rob’s personal development and self-realization. But just as with her co-stars, Young pulls off her role expertly as do the rest of the cast members. Their collective experience makes their portrayals here so enjoyable in their own right. It makes suspension of disbelief so simple in this case. The end result is a story that will keep audiences fully engaged from start to finish, laughing the whole way through.

Whether it be the movie’s script, the bonus features included as part of the whole, or the acting on the part of the cast, Premature proves in the end to have plenty of positives. It proves to have far more positives than its critics would lead audiences to believe. It proves to be one of this year’s best new indie flicks and one of the year’s best new movies overall. It is available in stores and online now. More information on this and other titles from IFC Films is available online at:

Hell on Wheels: The Complete Third Season will be released on DVD and Blu-ray Tuesday, July 15th. Season Three follows the continuing saga of former Confederate soldier Cullen Bohannon as he works with the Union Pacific on its westward construction. Season Three picks up after the attack by a group of Native Americans on the railroad encampment that closed out Season Two. Also in Season Three, audiences see Cullen make his plans to take over the Union Pacific and get it across the country.

One of AMC’s top series, it has been credited for helping to modernize the once powerhouse Western genre on television. The upcoming complete third season’s release comes only weeks before the premiere of the series’ fourth season on Saturday, August 2nd.

Hell on Wheels: The Complete Third Season comes with its own compliment of bonus features along with every one of Season Three’s episodes. Those bonus features include: An inside look at Season Three, a recap of season two, a set tour with Common, Behind The Music featurettes, and an “Inside The Episode” featurette with each of Season Three’s ten episodes.

One part stoner flick, one part buddy comedy, and one part horror spoof, Entertainment One’s new horror comedy Knights of Badassdom (yes, that’s really its title) is an outrageously over-the-top story that any of today’scollege frat boy audiences will enjoy watching at least once. It’s obvious right from the story’s outset that it was not meant to be taken with a single grain of seriousness. It centers on a group of twenty-something friends that have to face off against a succubus from Hell after their obsession with live action role playing (LARPing)—yes, that is a real thing, not just something cooked up for this movie—goes a little bit too far. The completely outrageous script behind this story is central to its intended audiences being able to enjoy it. Equally important to the story’s enjoyment is the acting on the part of the cast. And of course, what home release is complete without its special features? There are actually some interesting tidbits shared through the movie’s bonus features that make the movie more interesting. Those tidbits, the cast’s acting and the outrageous, over-the-top story make this indie horror spoof a movie well worth watching at least once.

Co-writers Kevin Dreyfuss and Matt Wallhave crafted a story in Knights of Badassdom. Dreyfuss and Wall have done so much with so little that it is difficult to know where exactly to begin in examining their script. On the surface, Knights of Badassdom works because of its silly factor. It is just a good, fun, and slightly gruesome turn-off-your-brain flick. It’s one part stoner flick, one part buddy comedy, and one part horror spoof that has absolutely no intention of taking itself the least bit seriously. On a deeper level, one could argue that there’s a story of a group of men forced to grow up if only a little because they got what they’d always wished for and then some during their make believe games. That’s thanks to them having accidentally unleashMatted a succubus from Hell during one of their imaginary ceremonies. At first the five friends think that they’re just taking part in a weekend of LARPing (Live Action Role Playing)—yes it is in fact real and not something conjured up for this story. But when people start turning up dead, they start to realize that there is an evil force among them. The friends—Hung (Peter Dinklage), Gwen (Summer Glau), Eric (Steve Zahn), Joe (Ryan Kwanten), and Ronnie Kwok (Jimmi Simpson)—end up having to face that evil force and stop it once and for all, essentially allowing them to finally live out their make believe fantasies for real. Any viewer that can take this movie for the all-out nonsensical work that it is will appreciate all of the inanity (and insanity). Those viewers will agree in watching the story that it is funny enough that it is worth at least one watch.

The story behind Knights of Badassdom has so many different facets about it that even as intentionally nonsensical as it was, it was still entertaining. Helping the story’s entertainment was the acting on the part of the movie’s cast. Led by actor Ryan Kwanten (True Blood), the cast’s interaction with one another throughout the story made for more than a few laughs. And their portrayals of the stereotypical people in the role playing culture are just as entertaining. One can’t help but laugh watching Steve Zahn as the wanna-be wizard, casting his “spells.” And Jimmi Simpson’s portrayal of the controlling, somewhat egotistical “game master” Ronnie Kwok is a complete laugh riot. Both Summer Glau and Peter Dinklage add their own charm, to the mix, too. The whole cast together will have viewers laughing nonstop right to the final scenes.

The movie’s cast and its interpretation of the movie’s script work together to make it a surprisingly entertaining work. It’s the cast’s interpretation of the script that makes all of the total absurdity believable and entertaining all at once. There is still one remaining factor in this new release from Entertainment One that makes it the surprisingly enjoyable work that it is. That last factor is the movie’s bonus material. The interview with director Joe Lynch is the best of the bonus features. Lynch discusses in his interview his love of the classic 1980s horror flicks and how that influenced his direction on this movie. Even more interesting is his mention of special effects company Spectral Motion making the monster and handling all of the special effects for this movie. He discusses how he wanted to have an actual monster and real special effects versus the far too overused CG effects employed by Hollywood’s biggest studios. That devotion to using the physical versus the digital made a big difference in the movie. Sure the monster looked cheesy. But as Lynch notes in his interview, it was supposed to look cheesy. It was part of that homage to the 80s monster movies that Lynch grew up watching. Audiences will be amazed even more to learn that Spectral Motion is the company behind the creatures seen in Hellboy and Hellboy II. That such a well-known and equally respected company would offer its services for an indie horror flick—an indie horror spoof even—speaks volumes. And it paid off in a big way. Audiences will appreciate Lynch’s interview when they see it in its entirety. They will also appreciate the acting on the part of the movie’s cast and the script, penned by co-writers Kevin Dreyfuss and Matt Wall. Audiences will appreciate all of these factors and more that they will find for themselves when they order the movie on DVD and Blu-ray. It can be ordered online now via Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Knights-Badassdom-Blu-ray-Peter-Dinklage/dp/B00HOGRJQG/ref=sr_1_2?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1398801394&sr=1-2&keywords=knights+of+badassdom.

Fans of HBO’s hit series, True Blood have been waiting anxiously for the show’s new season. Now, a new trailer for Season Six has been released to the masses via YouTube. And any fan of the show that lives in North Carolina will have even more reason to smile when they watch it. That’s because Durham, North Carolina’s own Delta Rae is featured prominently in the trailer. Or rather, the band’s music is featured. The band’s debut single, ‘Bottom of The River’ from its Warner Brothers Records debut album, Carry The Fire is used as a music bed for the trailer. The band was quite excited about having its music used in the trailer. “We’ve been immense fans of True Blood since the pilot” vocalist Brittany Holljes explains. “The show captures southern myth and the magic of American folklore — the same mysterious storytelling that inspires so much of our music. To go from dressing up like the whole cast (Yes, I was Sookie) for Halloween three years ago, to hearing our song on the trailer is utterly MIND BLOWING.” The trailer for True Blood Season Six can be viewed on YouTube at http://youtu.be/tGgt_jllHcA. The official video for the single can be viewed at http://youtu.be/bimam2j2gEg. And fans can even check out a very special performance of the song with a group of young fans with Staten Island, NY’s famed PS22 Chorus. The PS22 Chorus has also performed with Carrie Underwood, Rihanna, and a number of other famous artists. Along with its performance of ‘Bottom of the River’, the band also performed renditions of ‘If I Loved You’, ‘Dance in the Graveyards’ and ‘Fire’ with its young fans. Links to the performances are available via YouTube below.

Having its music used for the trailer for a hit TV show is just one of the many things going on for Delta Rae right now. It has been scheduled to perform at this year’s annual Bonnaroo festival, Austin City Limits, Hangout Festival, Firefly, and Bumbershoot. The dates are just part of a very busy Summer touring schedule, which is available below.